Roller skate



Nov. 14, 1939. J. H LEE. JR., ET AL ROLLER SKATE Filed Jul 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 dorm files J): g, I .ff beri' Zea Willis- Nov. 14, 1939.

J. H. LEE; JR., ET AL ROLLER SKATE ril d July 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 14,

omc E ROLLER SKATE W John H. Lee, J12; Oak Park, and Robert Lee Willis,

Chicago, Ill.,

assignors yito Metal Specialties Manufacturing 00., a corporation ,of Illinois Application iluly 12, 1937, Serial No. 153,262 solaims- (or. 280-4128) This invention relates to roller skates and deals particularly with the class of roller skates which have rocking or tilting structur'efor mounting the rollers;

Anobject of the invention is to provide. an improved skate construction in which the rollers are so mounted as to allbw'a maximum of cush ioning efiect so that a,minimum of shock and vibration is tra'nsmitted" to the top plate of.the skate. Another object is to provide such a cushioned skate which is'als'o" well balanced. and

sturdy and which yieldsa-feelingof security to the wearer.

Another object is to provide a' skate in which the'parts are at all times'heldin resilient engage ment sothat rattles and noises, e'tc., areeliminated.

Stillanother object is to provide an improved adjustable frame construction .which can be firmly anchored in'a" desired adjustment.

An embodimentoi theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a plan: view'of the improved skate; Fig. 2', a view in side elevation, Fig.3, a sectional view in elevation, the section being taken as indicated' at line 3 of Fig.4; Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectional viewyand Fig. 5, a detail sectional View showing a cross section of the cushion.- the section'being taken as indicated at line 5jof Fig. 4.

As shown in' the illustrations, A and 'A' designate front and rear frame plates which-are connected .by frame channel A B. the-truck supporting members attached tame frame plates;

C, the'roller'carriers towhich theiront and rear rollers are attached; and D; cushion members held between membersB andcarriers C. H

The frame pl'atesA and may be of any suitable construction. Front plate A isequipped with the usual toe clamp ill by which the skate is secured to thesole of a shoe. On the top of the plate may be placed the rubber covering Hwhieh may be secured to the plate by means of the edge piece l2 havingits top portion extending over the edge'oicoveringjl and its bottom portion secured'to the bottom of plate A as by spot welding. At the rearward portion of plate A is a square opening !3 which is adapted to receive a square'portionof the bolt 14. If desired, the plate may contain a slight top depression I5 to accommodate the head of the bolt and so as to make the top surface of the bolt flush with the top surface of the plate.

Frame plate A preferably has the rear upturned flange It to which may be attached the heel piece l1. Covering H may be placed over plate A and may be securedby edge pieces [2 in a'ma'nner similar, to that described in connection with plate A; Rear plate A also has a bolt 64 extending through square opening l3 and a having its head'disposed in a slight depression 5 15 I The truck membersB which are attachedto plates A and A have the, upwardly extending side flanges l8 which at their upper edges are secured to the underside of the frameplate's. The 10 bottom or transverse portion l9' of eachof the supporting members B is inclined with the horizontal.v At the ends of this portion are the downwardly directed flangesv 20 each of which. is equipped with slots 2l extending longitudinally of-the flanges at'their transverse centers. The bottom portion HQ with the flanges form a type of yoke into which the cushion'Dis received.

The roller carriers 'C comprise a metal piecewhich is formedabout'an axle and provid'es'a base 20 22 on which the cushion Dis supported. At each of theirends carriers C are provided with the flanges 23 which extend upwardly between flanges 2 of members B. Ea'ch-of flanges', 231is provided with slots 24 aligned with the slots 2|. 25 The front roller carrier C is secured to the front axle 25 to which the front rollers '26 are mounted, and the rear carrier C issecured to the rear axle 25 to which the rear rollers 26 are mounted.

The cushion D is formed of a suitable resilient 30 material, preferablyflrubber, and is in the form of a" rectangular block having a larger base, than top. This cushion is placed between the supportingmember B and the carrier C. If desired,, a cap '27 may be placed over the top of' this cushion to keep the top edges from spreading. As shown more clearly in Fig. 5, this cushion is provided with an opening 28 extending longitudinally through it. Preferably opening 28 is extended vertically in the form of a slot so" side Wall portions Zfiand 29 of the cushiom It is important, however,.that the opening 28- not extend torthe top or bottom edges of the cushion forreasons; which will appear. more clearly hereinafter. i5

To secure the parts in place a pin 30 is extended through the slots of flanges 28 and 23 and through the opening 28 of the cushion. To insert the pin 30 in assembling the parts, it is necessary to flex the cushion D in two respects. In the first place, the top surface of the cushion must be pressed downwardly slightly to bring the slots of flanges 20 suiiiciently into register to allow the pin to extend through each of the slots, and the walls 29 and 29 of the cushion .fiex to allow this as to create 40 movement. Secondly, the portion of the cushion immediately below pin 30 must be pressed downwardly to allow the pin to extend within the slots 24 and over this portion. The pin 30 may be held in place by its head 30 at one end and at its other end may be deformed to prevent its removal.

The frame plates A and A are adjustably secured together by the channel piece A which has its transverse portion 4I provided with longitudinal slots 42 and 42 The front end of channel 40 extends under frame plate A and has the bolt I4 received within slot 42, and the rear end extends under plate A and has the bolt I4 received within slot 42 The side flanges 43 of channel 40 engage the inside surfaces of the supporting members B, and as shown in Fig. 4, the inwardly struck portions 44 of the supporting members may engage flanges 43 to help maintain the channel piece in position,

About each of bolts I4 and I l are the washers 45 which are rectangular in form and which have their side edges extending to the flanges 43. By turning down the nuts 46 on bolts I4 and I4 the washers 45 are drawn tightly against the channel 40 to secure this piece firmly with the plate. The use of the rectangular washers 45 is important first because the washer cannot turn within the channel and so allow the attachment to work loose, and also because it engages the whole area of the transverse portion 4| for the length of the washer to effect a pressure over a greater area.

In this improved construction, the pin 30 is resiliently held at both of its ends, and it'is engaged only by the cushion D and by the sides of slots in flanges 20 and 23. Before the skate is loaded the pin 30 will be tightly held between the lower ends of slots 2| and the upper ends of slots 24. When the skate becomes heavily loaded the walls 29 and 29 of the cushion will flex allowing the member B to move slightly downward, the pin 30 moving within slots 2I. It will be noted that even though disengaged from the ends of slots 2 I, the pin will not be loose or permitted to rattle as the cushion portion immediately below the pin will resiliently hold it in engagement with the ends of slots 24.

When the skate passes over an uneven surface, the axles will tend to tilt, and in such case the roller carriers C will turn pivotally about the pin 30 as an axis, the cushion D being flexed on one of its walls and relieved on the other. By having both front and rear of flanges 20 and 23 slotted, it is seen that there is no necessity of a pivoting movement about one end of the pin such as is common in other constructions of this general type. Here the front and rear portions of cushion walls 29 and 29 are equally flexed, and the movement about pin 30 is always free and without binding.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a roller skate, a frame plate, a truck member carried thereby, said member being provided with downwardly turned flanges each of which contains a slot, a roller carrier having upwardly turned flanges each of which contains a slot, a resilient cushion extending between said member and said carrier and having a vertically elongated opening extending longitudinally through the middle of said cushion, and a pin extending through the slots in said flanges and said opening in said cushion to secure the parts together, said opening in said'cushion permitting vertical movement of said pin within said cushion and relative thereto, said pin being engaged only by the slots of said flanges and by said resilient cushion.

2. In a roller skate, a frame plate, a truck member carried thereby, said member being provided with downwardly turned flanges each of which contains a slot, a roller carrier having upwardly turned flanges each of which contains a slot, a resilient cushion extending between said member and said roller, said cushion having a vertically elongated opening extending longitudinally through the middle thereof, and a pin extending through the slots in said flanges and. through the lower portion of said opening in the cushion to secure the parts together, said opening in the cushion providing flexing walls on each side of said pin and permitting vertical movement of said pin within said cushion and relative thereto, the bottom side of said cushion opening being in engagement with said pin whereby said pin is normally positioned in the lower portion of said cushion and said cushion being adapted to resiliently hold said pin against the upper ends of the slots in the flanges of said roller carrier.

3. In a roller skate, a frame plate, a truck member carried thereby, said member being provided with downwardly turned flanges each of which contains a slot, a roller carrier having upwardly turned flanges each of which contains a slot, a resilient cushion extending between said member and said roller, the base of said cushion adjacent said roller carrier being broader than the upper portion adjacent said member, said cushion having a vertically elongated opening extending longitudinally through the middle thereof, and a pin extending through the slots in said flanges and through the lower portion of said opening in the cushion to secure the parts together, said opening in the cushion providing flexing walls extending above the pin on each side thereof and permitting vertical movement of said pin within said cushion and relative thereto, the bottom side of said cushion opening being in engagement with said pin whereby said pin is normally positioned in the lower portion of said cushion and saidcushion being adapted to resiliently hold said pin against the upper ends of the slots in the flanges of said roller carrier.

JOHN H. LEE, JR. ROBERT LEE WILLIS. 

